The Boomstick Is Back

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As if Texas Rangers opponents' pitchers didn't already have enough to worry about with Josh Hamilton on his freakish pace and ridiculous start to the season, it seems like there's some more big bats in the Rangers' lineup starting to come alive.

One of the streakier bats in the Rangers' lineup is on one its streaks, and it's the good variety as the Boomstick possessed by Nelson Cruz has been in the process of waking up over the last week and shot right up out of bed on Sunday night.

Cruz went 4-for-5, matching his career-high for hits in a game, and hit the kill shot in the third inning with a grand slam to left field en route to a 13-6 win over the rival Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night. Over the last week, Cruz is now hitting .500 with seven RBIs, four doubles and the big home run. He's seen his batting average climb from .225 to .273 over the last 10 games.

"I said before that I felt like my swing was there, just not the results," Cruz said after the game. "I thought it would come. It's good to see it."

Cruz was hitting seventh in the Rangers' lineup, which is where he's been most of the year so far, leading a charge from the bottom of the order that also included good games from Mike Napoli and Mitch Moreland.

"It's a fun lineup to be a part of," Hamilton told the media. "Every night somebody steps up. Either all of us, or bottom of the lineup or top of the lineup. It flip-flops or varies, which is a good thing to be able to say as a team. It's just fun to be a part of."